Ronaldo's future with Portugal is undecided after his departure from the national team camp

Cristiano Ronaldo's future with the Portuguese national team is still open to all possibilities, following his dispute with coach Jorge Jesus and his departure from the national team camp in Copenhagen, provided that the next steps become clear after facing Portugal and Norway, on Sunday evening, in the European Nations League.

According to the Portuguese newspaper “Record”, there are currently no talks or negotiations regarding holding a farewell match for the captain of the Portuguese national team, contrary to what was proposed by the French newspaper “L’Equipe” about the possibility of Ronaldo returning to play a final match in his country’s jersey, as it described this scenario as mere speculation not based on actual steps so far.

Ronaldo left the national team camp in Denmark, stressing that he would explain in due time the reasons that prompted him to leave the group. Although his decision raised speculation about the possible end of his international career, the 41-year-old player did not announce a final position regarding his future with the national team.

The Al-Nasr captain returned to Riyadh on Sunday, coming from Madrid, as the Portuguese national team prepares to face Norway at the Dragao Stadium.

After the match, the Portuguese Football Federation is expected to begin moves aimed at containing the crisis and reopening channels of communication with Ronaldo, as the federation’s preferred scenario remains reconciliation and the player’s return to the national team.

Bruno Fernandes had confirmed that Ronaldo was still part of the team, expressing his hope that his colleague would not make a hasty decision to end his international career, while Jesus, in turn, left the door open to the possibility of reconciliation.

Thus, Ronaldo's international future remains undecided, while awaiting the outcome of the expected moves between the Portuguese Federation and the player after the confrontation with Norway.

Senegal coach Patrick Vieira defended his players, Khalidou Koulibaly, the Al Hilal player, and Idrissa Gueye, the Diriyah player, following the 1-0 victory over the Comoros Islands in a friendly match held in Marseille, on Sunday.

Vieira spoke in a sharp tone, and entered into an argument with a journalist who described the duo, Idrissa and Koulibaly, as “players whose time has ended.”

The French coach responded in a press conference, saying: “What you are saying lacks respect. You should not speak in the dialect of fans abroad, because you are talking about two players who have done a lot and are making Senegal’s history.”

He added: “It is unacceptable for us to resort to these expressions even if people speak them abroad, because it is the duty of journalists to correct concepts for ordinary audiences.”

The Teranga Lions coach continued: “Describing the duo as having finished their time is unacceptable. I reject this question. It is disrespectful. They are a wonderful model and example for all players on or off the field.”

The former Nice coach asked the journalist to change the wording of the question, adding: “We are not in a state of war, but this tone is unacceptable, because we are talking about two great players, and their presence means that they can offer more to Senegal.”

By defeating Comoros with a goal by Eliman Ndiaye, Senegal achieved its second victory in a row, and maintained its unbeaten record under the leadership of Patrick Vieira, after drawing with Mozambique and defeating Ethiopia in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Malta national football team topped the standings of Group A in the fourth level of the European Nations League.

The Malta national team won 1-0 over its guest, the Andorra national team, on Sunday, at the national stadium in the Maltese city of Takali, in the fourth round of the group, which also includes the Gibraltar national team.

Malta's only goal was scored by Teddy Touma in the 49th minute, while the visiting team was unable to achieve at least an equalizer during the remaining time of the match.

With this result, the Malta national team, which played its third match in the group, rose to 7 points at the top of the standings, with a difference of 5 points in front of its closest competitor, the Gibraltar national team, which played only two matches, while the Andorra national team’s balance stopped at one point from three matches at the bottom of the standings.

In the capital, Pristina, the Kosovo national team tied with its guest, the Austria national team, 1-1.

After a negative first half, Hoffenheim's German player, Visnik Aslani, opened the scoring for Kosovo in the 70th minute, before LASK Linz's Christoph Lange equalized the score for Austria five minutes before the end.

The draw raised Austria's score to eight points at the top of Group C of the second level, three points ahead of second-placed Kosovo, before facing the Republic of Ireland (four points) and its host Israel (one point), which will be held in Hungary later Sunday in the same group.